Funk. Soul. R&B. If there’s one band synonymous with those genres in the Asbury scene it’s Des and the Swagmatics. Fronted by the phenomenal Deseree Spinks, the band is one of the pillars of the Asbury scene, and with new music on the horizon — it’s only onwards and upwards for this band.
Des and The Swagmatics Are (Band Members & Instruments They Play): Craig Lawlor (drums), Kevin Stryker (Bass), Raymond Saada (Keys), Jimmy Farkas (guitar), and Deseree Spinks (Vocals).
Year We Formed: 2014.
We’re Based Out of: Asbury Park, NJ.
You’ve Seen Us Before in These Other Bands: Ashes are Nutritious, DeSoL, Captain James and the P.A.I.N., Mood Swing.
Our Sound Has Been Likened To: Prince, Sharon Jones, Rick James, Sly Stone, Sheila E.
Famous/Awesome Artists We’ve Shared the Band With: Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
You dropped a new song ‘Back to Blue‘ earlier this year. Can you talk about how this song stands out from the rest of your catalog?
We’re generally known for making music that’s fun and danceable so it was nice to switch it up and make something a little weightier and more serious in tone. We’ve also been working with a great team at Telegraph Hill Records that are helping us grow these songs to their fullest potential.
Can we expect a new record coming from you guys in the near future?
YOU SURE CAN! We’re getting together the songs for our first full album as we speak, we’re hoping to have it out before year’s end.
You guys have been around the scene in Asbury for quite some time — how do you feel you’ve evolved as a band since your debut?
We’re always trying to push our performance to the absolute best we can possibly achieve and with that mentality you have to consistently find new ways to push the envelope. People get bored seeing the exact same show so we do our best to keep it interesting.
And how do you feel the scene has changed — for better or worse?
I think even though there are bigger and higher profile bands that come through town that there’s still little pockets of micro-scenes keeping that spirit of familial camaraderie going. There’s a thriving punk scene centered around the Asbury Park Brewery, the hip hop scene is on fire right now, the folk and indie bands are killing it, and inside each one of these micro worlds for the most part are a bunch of people who are all working towards the same goals and who all genuinely wanna see each other succeed.
You’re playing Happy Mondays as a part of the Makin Waves 31st Anniversary Celebration. How important has Makin Waves and its author Bob Makin been to Des & The Swagmatics?
Outside of him always taking time to mention myself and local artists in his publication and believing in us and throwing us show offers, my favorite Bob story: my grandmother fell suddenly ill at a show we were having painted for charity and had to be taken out quickly during my set. I was distraught for the rest of the set but managed to finish. By the time I came offstage, not only did Bob manage to help my grandma get out safely, but he bought the painting and gave it to my family. It’s hanging in my parents’ living room.
What’s one of the wildest things that’s happened at a Des & The Swagmatics show?
Our shows get pretty crazy, so picking just one is hard! I guess the first one that comes to mind is we were playing a private holiday party and a full blown dance battle erupted, culminating in a full split, mid dance floor.
What do you love about being in this band?
There’s so much to love. I love working with solid musicians that believe in my vision and bring their own talents to the table to enhance it. We love The fans, they are absolutely the best. Lastly, the opportunity to really live the dream and express myself in a way that moves people is second to none.
What’s a definitive goal you have for the band in 2019?
Full Album, Music video, Swag merch coming soon!
What are you most excited about in 2019?
We’ve gotten some really great opportunities cooking and it’s still very early in the year, anything could happen!
